


I won't say I'm in love

by PontifexxMaximus (WibblyWobbly_TimeyWimey)



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Confessions, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Other, fierrochase, i never thought i'd include taylor swift in a song, this couple should have more fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 23:41:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11611404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WibblyWobbly_TimeyWimey/pseuds/PontifexxMaximus
Summary: Magnus can't quite figure out why he can't breathe whenever Alex is around. It doesn't help that his friends are Hel-bent on making him a joke in front of her.//Crap summary, sorry, basically just cute shennanigans about how Magnus realizes his feelings for Alex and they get together, and their friends are being little shits





	I won't say I'm in love

**Author's Note:**

> Alex is really out of character, I'm so sorry! I'm gonna re-read Thor's Hammer soon, so I can have better Alex characterization, but for now, this will do, bc I'm determined that this shiptag should be filled

If anyone ever told you that Magnus liked listening to Taylor Swift, he would not, as one might guess, vehemently deny it. Rather, Magnus was a vocal supporter, claiming that he was "broadening his horizons to several races" (never mind that he already had a dwarf as one of his best friends).

For once in his life, he wasn't particularly enjoying the pop-queen dwarf's tunes; more specifically "Fearless" which had chosen to be the next in the queue on his playlist, right when he was busy  ~~not~~  thinking about Alex. It wasn't his fault, really (and Taylor Swift definitely wasn't helping).

The cause of Magnus' newfound swiftie hate was pretty simple. Previously that day, his floor 19 mates had finally convinced him and Alex to go to the Valhalla "bowling hall to the death". Magnus wasn't too fond of bowling since visiting Big Boy's bowling alley, but Mallory had promised to kill him painfully every day for the rest of the month if he didn't come.

The game had been pretty tame by Valhalla standards. Halfway in, and nobody had died. They also didn't have to bowl towards mountains this time, which Magnus found actually made bowling more enjoyable. It was definitely enjoyable watching Alex bowl. Purely from a general point of view of course. It wasn't so weird how Magnus was enjoying the way Alex's muscles were moving, and how the Valhalla t-shirt showed off Alex's  _very_  strong arms. Regularly fighting with a garrote obviously did wonders to one’s arm muscles.

Magnus had only noticed how spaced-out he had been, when Halfborn and Mallory suddenly burst out in a duet, Mallory climbing on the table near their bowling balls. Whoever had the idea that they should have a Disney-marathon last month was gonna get  _strangled_ by Magnus, he decided, face blood-red as he imagined creative ways to kill the couple, in the tune to their own singing of "I won't say I'm in love" from Hercules. Both people were very obviously serenading Magnus, who got redder and redder by the second. Everyone but Alex had a knowing smirk on their faces that Magnus didn't appreciate. Alex luckily just seemed to think it was part of Halfborn and Mallory's usual gags and making fun of Magnus.

Magnus sank further and further down in his seat, until he decided to get his friends to stop singing by throwing a spiky bowling ball (really, that seemed like it would be impractical for actual bowling) in their general direction. Soon an all-out fight erupted, and Magnus' mind went black as he confronted a bowling ball head-on.

 

That was how he had ended up finding himself laying in the middle of his tiny park in his room, where he had resurrected and decided to listen to music, while he lay and wallowed in self-pity. Which would all have been fine, if it wasn't for that  _stupid_ song.

It wasn't like he liked Alex or anything. Gods, no, no way. The song just reminded him of that pretty green Stella McCarthy he had in his room. That was all. The dress. Not Alex in the dress. Not Alex, dancing with him in the rain. Or.. Or, like, kissing him. No way. He'd never think anything like that.

 

"Magnus, are you honest-to-the-Gods listening to  _Taylor Swift_?", his thoughts were quickly interrupted by Alex, whom had never heard about 'privacy' before, and simply walked right in and made herself at home. Ever since they'd had  _that talk_ , he'd just stopped asking Alex, what gender she was. They both knew he could see anyway, by weird Frey-magic or whatever the Hel that did it.

"Taylor Swift has several award winning albums!", Magnus automatically shot back, quickly sitting up, willing his heart to  _please_ relax from the shock of Alex bursting in the door. Though he wasn't shocked anymore, so it should surely be done flying out of his chest now, right? Was he having a heart attack? Oh God, he couldn't breathe, he was definitely dying, but at least the last thing he would see was Alex's beautiful, worried, two-colored eyes. In his near-death state, a word came to him; heterochromia. Oh yea. That's what having differently colored eyes was called. Now he was ready to die.

"Uhm, dude? Are you okay? Are you being choked or.. or something?", Alex looked worried, scanning the entire patch of grass around Magnus, not seeing any snacks that could have possibly gotten stuck in his throat. Magnus inhaled sharply, filling his lungs with air and lying down again, only feeling slightly better.

"Oh yea. Yea, I'm fine, I, uh, forgot to breathe"

"You're such a doofus", Alex shook her head and plopped down next to Magnus effortlessly, hands behind her head, and her foot resting on her knee, looking up at the trees above them. She was lying so close that Magnus' arm was flush against her side. Magnus didn't know what to do. He couldn't move his arm, there wasn't really space, and he was having trouble breathing again. It wasn't fair that Alex was so effortlessly relaxed.

Magnus quickly sat up, getting himself a bit distanced from Alex.

"So, bowling to the death, huh?", he scratched the back of his head, "almost as bad as bowling with giants. The song definitely made it worse", he chuckled nervously. At least Alex hadn't seemed to get what their friends had been implying with the song, and who they were staring at. Halfborn and Mallory had told Magnus, that they had made it they (after)life's mission to get Alex and Magnus together, even though Magnus kept repeating how stupid it was to think, that he had a crush on Alex. Not that the girl wasn't gorgeous! With her vibrant, green hair, her deep eyes and lean frame...  Anyway! Anyone would be dumb not to see that Alex looked great. Magnus simply had eyes and logic sense.

"Ha, yea! That song is really stupid", Alex said with a mischievous grin, "I'll never understand why people don't just tell other people, when they like them". Her look had some meaning to it, but not one a flustered Magnus could decipher. Did Alex think love was stupid? No, wait, that wasn't what she had said. Why was she looking at Magnus like that? Expectantly?

"Ah, haha, yea, um, that sure is stupid", Magnus looked away and scratched his head again. When he returned his gaze to Alex, he was almost sure he saw a disappointed look on her face, accompanied by a frown, but it was gone as quick as it had appeared. It probably meant nothing.

”…Anyway. I gotta – pottery – I’ll just – uhm”, Alex stuck a thumb behind her pointing at the door, as she backed away from Magnus, towards the door. She was almost out, when his stupid brain decided to act stupid.

“Hey! Do you still have that Stella McCarthy?” he would have hit himself, if Alex hadn’t stopped and looked at him quizzically.

“Erh, one, how do you know that I have a Stella McCarthy? Secondly, yea, why?”

Magnus mentally hit himself instead. “Oh, uh, Mallory saw it back when you trashed your room”. His face was red-hot. He was probably coming down with a fever. A _very_ hot and embarrassing fever.

“Okay, yea, and why did you ask?”

“Uhm, I just like, remembered it. It’s whatever”, Magnus looked away, and Alex muttered a goodbye before disappearing, probably to either make or bash a few pots. She seemed to enjoy both equally.

 

 

-

 

 

At breakfast the next morning, Magnus was 110% sure Alex was actually out to kill him, as she strolled gracefully along the corridor leading to the room where the floor 19 residents ate their breakfast and battled their bagels. Hugging her body like it was painted on was the long, green dress Magnus had asked about the other day. It had a sort of halter-top, showing off Alex’ back and her muscles. The dress was also long enough to cover her feet, making her seem even taller than normally.

Magnus had never expected to be killed with a dress, but he had never felt closer to die than in that moment. Or maybe he just felt close to Heaven? Well, he supposed Valhalla _was_ Nordic Heaven. He definitely felt blessed either way.

“Good morning”, Alex said as she sat down at the table. When their eyes met, Magnus forgot how to swallow properly, and his coffee definitely went down the wrong way.

“Hey, I remember that dress!” Mallory exclaimed, throwing a bagel at Alex, which she caught with her hand, “but uh, why are you wearing a Stella McCarthy to breakfast?”

“Magnus reminded me of the dress yesterday. And every occasion is a great occasion to wear a Stella McCarthy”

Mallory grunted her approval through a big bite of breakfast. Magnus agreed, he supposed, but it should be illegal to look so great so early in the morning. Magnus hadn’t even combed his hair.

“-right, Magnus?”

Magnus was drawn out of his thoughts by the mention of his name.

“Huh?” he answered cleverly, with half a bagel hanging out of his mouth.

“Honestly, you _gotta_ stop staring at people Magnus, you have a real problem!” the protest came from Alex, who didn’t seem to mind quite as much as she used to. The comment seemed more like a joke than like the threats Magnus had gotten, when they first met.

“Yea Magnus, you have a real problem”, TJ added, and he, Mallory and Halfborn snickered conspiratorially. Magnus sent TJ a ‘shut up’-look. Alex just looked slightly confused.

 

“Anyway. We were talking about how we think a new door to Midgard has generated behind the door to the hallway closet in our hallway. We were thinking you, Alex and Halfborn could check it out?” TJ continued the conversation that they’d apparently had when Magnus didn’t pay attention.

“Can doors to the nine worlds just randomly generate at Valhalla?” Magnus asked with a frown.

“Uh, yea, totally”, Mallory added matter-of-factly

“Well okay, then I suppose we’ll check it out”

The group finished their breakfast, and Alex, Magnus and Halfborn made their way toward the closet.

When Alex opened the closet, she started saying something “uhm, guys, I don’t think-“

She didn’t manage to finish the sentence, as Halfborn gave Magnus a push that could probably have dislocated his shoulder making him and Alex fall into the dark closet that was definitely not a portal to Midgard.

“What the heck?” Magnus tried the door, but Halfborn must have guarded it with his massive strength.

“We’re not letting you out before you tell her, Magnus”, Halfborn grunted from the other side of the door.

Meanwhile, Alex had located the switch for the lights, and a single lightbulb turned on above their heads. The closet was rather small, so it felt like Alex was impossibly close. As had been the case lately, Magnus once again struggled to breathe. The single lightbulb illuminated Alex slightly from behind, forming a golden halo around her curly, green hair. The dress was the same shade as her hair, and her eyes were sparkling.

“What is he talking about?” Alex’ voice was soft and she was almost whispering, because they were so close. Magnus swallowed with some difficulty, feeling caught by Alex’ eyes.

“Uhm, I’m not good at talking about what I feel-“, Magnus’ voice slowly ebbed out, along with his confidence.

“Then don’t talk”, Alex interrupted, the edges of her mouth turning upwards. She might have been moving closer, but Magnus honestly didn’t know. Everything was vertigo at that moment, the only secure point being Alex’ warm eyes that beamed at him.

Before Magnus had much chance to think, Alex had moved as close as possible. Her lips ghosted near his, like she’d lost confidence in the last second. Magnus decided that insecurity could go to Hel and closed the last distance between them. Alex’ lips felt as he had expected, soft, warm and like home. He knew that this was where he was supposed to be, not necessarily in the closet, but with Alex. This was where he belonged.


End file.
